A Curse of the Heart
by RedBisou
Summary: After Severus begs for Lily's life, he is cursed to live his life as a muggle, trapped inside an enchanted house for the rest of his days. That is, until the curse is changed. He must now find a pure heart to love and be loved in return. Bad summary.
1. The Plea

**Hello! This is my first fanfiction, though not my first time writing. I thought I would try this out and see where it goes, if anyone is interested in reading. **

**I am also looking for a beta reader, if anyone reads this and wants to tackle my grammar errors and the like, I'm all ears. (Constructive criticism is more then welcome by PM)**

**DISCLAIMER: I'm clearly not J.K Rowling, therefore none of these characters are of my own creation. **

**R&R Let me know what you think.**

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He stood before the Dark Lord, his eyes downcast with Sybill Trelawney's words, the words of the prophecy, spinning in his head.

_The one with the power to vanquish the Dark Lord approaches. _

"What are you asking of me, Severus?" Voldemort sneered, his voice echoing in the dark, dusty room. Circling his servant, his arms folded behind his back and his head held high. "What exactly are you suggesting?"

_Born to those who have thrice defied him, born as the seventh month dies._

Severus Snape trembled as he spoke, aware of the consequences his request could incur, "Spare her" he pleaded, "Spare her life. She is not the one you want my Lord, we know it's the boy." He looked up into the pale, unforgiving eyes of his master, his own eyes pleading him, saying what he dare not say out loud.

"And do you believe," the Dark Lord replied, amusement dripping from his voice "that Lily and James Potter will allow me entrance to their home, and step aside as I kill their only child?" Voldemort bellowed, letting out a chilling laugh. "No, Severus. They must all die."

_And the Dark Lord will mark him as his equal, but he will have power the Dark Lord knows not._

"She's just one more Mudblood." He continued airily. "Three more lives to end. Do you not find their lives worthy of our cause?" Coming to a stop in front of his servant, Voldemort looked into his eyes. Unfolding his arms, he took his wand from his pocket. "Don't you, Severus?" he asked calmly.

The hair on Severus' neck stood on end, Voldemort's words now echoing along with the prophecy in his head, blending and becoming one voice, taunting him.

_And either must die at the hand of the other,_

"Of course, my Lord" Severus replied, "H-however, what if she doesn't fight back, if we could..." he hesitated as the Dark Lord took a step forward, staring back at him. "If we could remove her from the home before we attack, then we can spare her! Then she won't have to die!"

"Enough!" Voldemort shouted, stepping closer. "What exactly are you saying? That I spare a disgusting _muggle _born, that I allow her to _live_?"

Severus lowered his head, fear washing over him. With his heart racing and his mouth dried up, he could barely catch his breath to utter a single word. Voldemort turns away from him as if he could not bear the sight of the pitiful man before him.

"Why are you begging for the life of filth?"

Clutching his hands into fists at his side, Severus slowly raised his head, his eyes scanning over the dark robes and pale bony skin of his master standing before him. Lifting his chin in defiance, he looked the Dark Lord in the eyes, glaring at him, shook the hair out of his face and with as much force and courage as he can muster he proclaimed, "Because I love her."

The silence that filled the room seemed physical, like a touchable force pressing down on Severus' ears. He wanted nothing more then to rip free of it, but he stood his ground, refusing to back down. After what felt like an eternity, Voldemort slowly turned towards him, and raised his wand.

"And I had such hope for you, Severus."

_For neither can live while the other survives._

He closed his eyes and waited for the blow.


	2. The Curse

**SO I still have been unable to find a beta reader, I apologize again if there are any grammar issues.**

**When I write one chapter, I don't upload it until the next chapter coming up is done as well, that way I can ensure the wait between them wont be too much. That being said I accidentally uploaded this chapter before removing the NEXT chapter from it and had to delete it. If anyone got a notification, and then came to read it only to find the chapter gone... um, yeah my bad lol.**

**One more thing I will say but I will leave it til the end so it isn't a "spoiler" of sorts!**

**ENJOY! R&R please, I love getting reviews!**

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"What will you do with him, my Lord?" she asked him, cautiously.

Voldemort stood in front of a wide window his back to her, overlooking the forest in front of him, absently scanning the area, what he was looking for she did not know.

"That is none of your concern", he replied simply "He will be kept safe and alive."

She crossed over the wooden floor of the dark, empty room towards her master, "May I ask why you spared him?"

"I may have need of him soon," he sneered, "very soon."

"And what do you need of me, my Lord?" she tilted her head to the side with a jerk, her black mess of hair covering her face.

"I need you to ensure the spell has been put on the house, I don't want any mistakes," he said raising his voice, "Am I clear?"

"Perrrrrfectly clear," she purred, turning away from him with a mischievous grin on her face and left.

* * *

Lying on the floor, Severus slowly regained consciousness and was vaguely aware of the rugged feeling against his face, such a difference to the cold, smooth surface he could have sworn he had been laying on not moments before. He jumped off the floor, surveying the scene around him with his wand in hand, remembering the events that had happened moments before. He was in what appeared to be a living room, his only light source bleeding through the long, pale yellow drapes hanging over the windows. It appeared to be a muggle living room, the biggest clues being the still pictures hung on the walls and the television in the corner of the room. Severus walked towards the floral print couch, his eyes still scanning the area and sat down.

_Where am I, _he thought, _what happened?_

The last thing he remembered was begging for Lily's life, which didn't turn out so great, and the Dark Lord pointing his wand at him, which, he had assumed, wouldn't turn out so great either. So why was he still alive, and in this muggle home of all places?

Hearing a shuffle behind him, Severus spun around, his wand pointed forward, toward the chest of...

"Bellatrix!" he exclaimed, snarling at the mad woman before him.

She giggled, "Oh Severus! Don't point your wand at me."

Walking around the sofa in a crouch, her messy hair covering half her face, the other half illuminated by the pale light, she etched towards him. "It wouldn't do you any good, won't be of any use to you now." she sighed, shaking her head.

"What am I doing here?"

She straightened up in front of him, smoothing out the tight silk dress and adjusted the lace sleeves before answering.

"What do you _think_ you're doing here?" She grinned.

"I don't want to play your games, witch!" he shouted, jabbing his wand in her direction.

Bellatrix looked upon him with pity and sadness in her demented eyes, "Oh Severus, I'm afraid you've been a naughty, naughty boy. You've displeased the master I hear, you've made him angry." She purred. "He is punishing you for defending that _mudblood_" she proclaimed, spitting out the last word as if it was poison on her tongue.

She took a step towards him and tilted her head, "Is it true, my love, is it true you begged the Dark Lord to spare her pitiful life? Is it true that you claimed to _love_ her?" Pouting she reached toward his face to brush his bangs away.

Severus jerked back from her cold touch, refusing to answer her.

"Master said you defend the muggle born, if you love muggles so much Severus, why not _be_ one!" she let out a high pitched shriek of laughter, doubling over and throwing her head back.

The colour had drained from his face, as he gazed upon the madness before him, disbelief in his voice. "What are you saying Bellatrix?" he spoke slowly.

"I'm saying, _Severus_, that you no longer have any magic." She smiled, "you no longer have use of your power."

He looked down at his wand in bewilderment, then to the door to his right.

Bellatrix followed his eye movement and stepped in front of the door, blocking it from view, "Oh no love, won't happen, no it won't. My Lord has placed a curse on you, I'm afraid. You cannot leave, you are to stay here!" She cried out, "You are stuck here, forever! Unless..." she pondered, walking away from the door, deep in thought.

While occupied in that perverse mind of hers, Severus walked towards the door, placed his hand on the doorknob and gripped it tightly. It wouldn't budge.

"The door is locked Bellatrix, where is the key?"

"Not locked, enchanted" she mumbled, pacing back and forth with her head bowed and her hand on her chin.

He turned back towards the door and took out his wand, "Alohamora"

Nothing happened. No spark, no click, nothing. In shock, he turned towards the room and spotted a lamp atop a low bookshelf. "Accio lamp" he commanded. The lamp stayed still, not moving or shifting in the slightest. He stood there shocked; realizing everything the witch had said was true. He had no more magic, he was trapped.

And he was a muggle.

"Yes! Oh yes! That will work wonderfully!" Bellatrix spun towards him, a look of insanity across her face. "Maybe you aren't trapped forever my love" she screeched in delight. She walked towards him, swinging her hips as she came closer to him.

"You are here because you loved the wrong kind; you fell in love with filth. But you can love again, Severus, and this time you will do it right." She took the wand from his limp hand, placing it on the bookshelf next to the untouched lamp. He didn't react to the removal of his wand; instead he stood there, still in shock. He glanced up at her with disbelief, as if he had never seen her before.

"Do it right?" he mumbled.

Ignoring his words, she continued. "The Dark Lord has sentenced you to a muggle life in this house for loving an impure heart, but" she hissed, "I cannot have that, cannot have my love in here, no I cannot!"

She stepped away from him, into the middle of the room. Raising her arms in the air, wand in her hand, she began to recite.

_In this house, you shall stay shut,_

_Devoid of your powers for loving a mutt,_

_Your black heart tainted, becoming impure,_

_But for this I speak, there is a cure,_

_Fall in love and be loved by a pure heart,_

_Thus returning your magic, you may depart._

Slowly lowering her arms, a smile upon her face, she looked up at him.

"Did you hear me? You must find someone of pureblood, Severus, someone of pureblood who you will love and be loved by in return."

"What have you done, I will love no other! Get out of my sight, witch! Get out!"

Bellatrix walked towards the door, and turned the handle. Looking back at him with a look of triumph on her face she winked and said, "As you wish, my love" and was gone.

Staring at the door she just left from, Severus walked up to it once more and tried the handle. It still wouldn't move.

"This can't be happening!" he cried out, pounding his fists on the door, "I need to get out I need to warn..." With a shock, he froze. Who would be there to help her? He turned and gazed around at his unexplored prison, and although there were other rooms he felt no urge to look. He felt no urge to do anything but get out of this house. What if Voldemort found her, what if he killed her?

"Lily" he whispered, backing into the door. A sudden flood of despair took over him, like a wave crashing down on him, forcing him to the ground. There he sat, his head in his hands, sobbing. He rode the wave of despair until he could no longer cry, until he had run out of tears. Feeling disoriented he raised his head again, realizing it was night. No more light came from the window, the room was pitch black. Without a thought, he fell to his side and crawled into the foetal position, defeated. He closed his eyes and let himself drift off to sleep; hoping that when he woke up, this would all be over.

**OKAY so that one thing I wanted to say, I tried to make Bellatrix as much like her original character as possible but I had Drusilla kind of in my head while writing it, I had to change it a lot after I read it again lol**

**Also, in my story Bellatrix isn't married. **

**Hope you enjoyed the next chapter is already written and it's short so I might post that really soon :P**

**Like I said before R&R! **


	3. The House Guests

**No Beta once again, so grammar might be horrid.**

**I also want to say a quick thank you to ****Saving the world is my weakness, Padme.G, and risi for the reviews!**  


**This is just a short one, more of a teaser then anything. I really enjoyed writing this little tidbit of a chapter, and I hope you enjoy reading it :D **

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"Should we wake him?" a soft, feminine voice asked.

"No, don't you dare" croaked another harsher male voice in a whisper, "It's none of our business where he wants to sleep."

A high pitched sigh echoed through the room, "He looks so sad though," the soft voice could barely be heard as she drifted closer to where the man lay on the carpet by the door. "Are those tears on his face?"

"Not our business" the other voice grumbled in response.

Ignoring the other voice, she came to a stop in front of Severus and peered down. "I think we should wake him, and move him to his bedroom. Do you think you could levitate him?" she asked

"He doesn't move, I said" he squeaked, "Now let's go before he wakes up and finds us staring at him."

Another sigh filled the room, followed by the sound of wind blowing through the room. "I suppose so", she responded, "but if he wakes up mad, I'm pinning it on you" A small chilling giggle filled the room.

"Always joking, always getting into trouble" he mumbled, "Don't know how to stay out of trouble, no wonder you..."

"Hush!" she interrupted him, "No need to be rude, I am a lady after all. It would do you well to remember that, short-stuff" She giggled again. "Besides, you'll wake him, and we wouldn't want that now, would we?" she mocked.

The sound of shuffling feet leaving the room, and the strange sound of wind again, was then greeted by total silence. Too tired to have opened his eyes, Severus drifted back into sleep, absently wondering who had been in the room with him, and how they knew he was there before the darkness took over.

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**Who could these two mysterious characters be? They aren't original characters, they are of my own creation. But what ARE they...? Take a guess in the review section, and while you're at it let me know if you like it so far! **


	4. The Haunting

He was walking up the stairs of an unfamiliar home, taking the steps lightly so as not to be heard. Severus glanced around and recognized the people moving in the pictures on the walls, though at that moment he wasn't sure where he knew them from. Continuing his ascent, he crept up the steps and drew his wand from his robes, hearing the pounding of feet running upstairs. As he reached the top, a man came into view, his own wand raised as well. Before the man could utter a word, Severus shouted "Avada Kedavra!" The man fell to the ground, his round glasses falling off his stunned face. He stepped over the familiar body of the newly deceased man and continued to a dimly lit room at the end of the hallway. Suddenly, Severus started to sweat, "No!" he tried to shout, "I don't want to do this, and I don't want to go into that room!" No longer in control of his body, however, he was forced to continue into the room, where a beautiful woman with red hair and green eyes stood in front of a wooden crib. She pleaded with him not to kill her son, begged him to spare his life. Though he didn't want to kill anyone's son, a chilling laugh emitted out of Severus' mouth nevertheless and he raised his wand towards the child. Suddenly the woman's body shifted and morphed, shrinking down to the size of a child. There she stood, Lilly Evans, the girl she was when Severus had met her, the day he told her she was a witch. He looked down at her with a smile on his face, yearning to reach down and hold her in his arms but he couldn't, still unable to control his body. Instead little Lilly looked up at him, her green eyes filled with tears, "Severus, why did you kill me? Why did you want me dead?" She looked up at him with those innocent eyes, tilting her head to the side. She took a step before him, now ignoring the cries of the child in the crib.

"No, Lilly I didn't kill you, I tried to save you! I tried! But he locked me away, I'm so sorry!" the words coming freely from his mouth now, sounded strange to his ears like a hiss, his own tears clouding the vision of the little girl in front of him. He tried to move closer to her but he couldn't budge, he could just stare at the small figure inching closer to him. Head still cocked to one side, her tears began spilling over, coming out blood red and dripping down her chin. She stopped right in front of him and lowered her head, sobbing loudly.

Severus hesitated, unsure of what to do to help the shaking girl before him.

"Lilly...?"

She jerked her head up. "You killed me Severus!" she wailed, lunging at him.

Waking up with a jolt by the sound of his own cries, Severus sat up in bed, shaking, rubbing the sleep from his eyes. Though he had been having the same dream for a month, this was the first time Lilly had turned into a child, what it meant he didn't know and didn't care to find out. Swinging his legs over the side of the bed, his body sticking to the sheets from sweat, he looked around his room. The dark red walls and deep brown hardwood floors did nothing to brighten up his mood. He got out of bed slowly, stretching out his muscles as he did so and grabbed the bottle of whiskey that was left on the mahogany dresser from the night before.

_What I would give for a bottle of Firewhiskey, _he thought with a swig and a sigh. He walked over to his window, pushed the black curtains aside and looked to see if anyone was outside. He had yet to see any people walking the streets, and no matter how much he had tried banging on the window and shouting, even waving his arms around like a lunatic, no one ever saw or heard him. He had given up weeks ago, but was tempted to try again when a faint knock was heard at the door. Glancing up at the ticking clock on the wall, Severus realized it was noon already.

Every day at noon, someone knocked on the door, but no matter how quickly he opened the door, he has never seen anyone; he even tried leaving the door open and sitting in front of it waiting, but all he heard instead was the ting of a bell coming from the kitchen. He would walk through the hallway towards the kitchen and there would be a single plate and glass at the table, and the moment his eyes made contact with the plate, food would appear and the glass would fill. Sitting down to eat, he couldn't help his mind from wandering. There was so much magic around him, yet, none of it was in him. It left him with a lonely feeling, a feeling similar to despair. It was as if there was a hole in his being, in his soul, that couldn't be filled with anything, not even the muggle whiskey. Never before had he felt so helpless and useless. Lilly would die, if she hadn't already, and there was nothing he could think of to do about it.

_Why do people have to die? _He thought, the despair that had taken seed in his heart was growing every day.

Finishing up his dinner quicker than usual, wanting to crawl back into bed, he walked towards his bedroom once more, knowing what he would find. The bed would be made, the curtains open, the room dusted and smelling of lemons. And there would be a ghost picking up his laundry.

_Wait, what!_

"What... who... wh...?" Severus sputtered, unable to form words, standing in the doorway, staring at the transparent silhouette of a young lady wearing a raggedy light blue dress before him. She had long, pale white hair that cascaded down to her waist. This was the first being he has seen in over a month.

"Oh dear!" she cried out, spinning around to face him, her doe eyes making contact with his, her hands behind her back trying to hide the clothes she had just been collecting for the wash, though they could be clearly seen through her shimmering figure. "Umm... hello!" she said, her words sounding like a breeze flowing through a group of wind chimes.

"What are you doing with my clothes?" he demanded, "And how did you get in here?"

"Well, I-I live h-here" she stuttered, bringing the clothes out from behind her back and placing them in a basket, "Well, not here, as in this room, but in this house. I'm just tidying up" she laughed nervously, picking up the basket and floating her way toward the door.

Severus didn't budge; he stood there in shock staring at her in disbelief. This was the first being he has seen in a months, and she had been here the whole time. She could have helped him, or at least gotten help to save Lilly. The last thought snapped him out of his shock. "Why am I just seeing you now?" he exploded, shouting at her, "Where have you been hiding? Why haven't you spoken to me, what's going on? Are you working for The Dark Lord? Is she safe?" He took a step towards her, his fists at his side, a look of fury and desperation on his face.

The ghost girl's face softened into something that resembled pity and sadness. She took a step back from him. "I'm so sorry" she whispered before disappearing in a gust of wind, the basket falling to the ground with a light bang where her figure had been not moments before.

Severus couldn't believe what had just happened. He rushed towards the spot where she had vanished and started shouting, screaming incoherently. Picking up the basket full of clothes, he threw it across the room, where it crashed against the wall, cracking in half. He turned towards the dark wooded dresser and shoved everything off of it; grabbing and pulling at it until it fell on the floor in front of him. Tears streaming down his face, his voice hoarse from screaming, he continued his rampage around the room, tearing clothes, ripping his curtains off the rails, punching holes in the wall. All the fury and angry that had built itself a nest inside of him, let loose to fly freely against the prison he was forced to call his home.

"WHY!" he shouted, stumbling into the hallway, continuing his path of destruction. He fell into the wall, breathing heavily, scratching at the paint in the wall, blood forming at this finger tips and making streaks of red with each scratch.

_It's like I'm repainting the walls, _he thought with a touch of insanity, _painting them a beautiful red._ He began laughing as he tore through the wall, a laugh that was so unfamiliar and yet so welcome to his ears. He was beginning to recognize the tone of his own laughter when he heard a pop behind him. Turning around quickly, he only had time enough to see a small hunched figure standing before him, with its arm outstretched before him before he felt the impact of an object falling on his head and everything around him went black.

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**So it's been a while since I posted, unfortunately. This past week was the 2 year anniversary of my fathers death. He had passed away from Lymphoma and I found this chapter to be too personal when I wrote it the first time, comparing Severus' pain to that of cancer, it just wasn't appropriate for the story and I realized I had to take a step back from it. **

**ANYWAYS I hope you enjoy this chapter, though a little short I had to cut it off here. The next one is halfway written. **

**Reviews help me write faster, and they help! Suggestions are welcome as well, this is as much your story as it is my own!**


	5. The Encounter

**Big news! I have a wonderful beta, xSeverusxCrookshanksx who will be helping me with my mistakes (silly grammar! :P) Thank you! **

**Hope this chapter makes up for the ten day not updating... ness.**

**Oh and I haven't really been mentioning it BUT although these are my words, they aren't my characters, all rights go to JKR and her awesome imagination.**

**Anyway enjoy!**

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Catching the falling man before he hit the floor, the older house elf levitated him through the hallway and into his room. "Such a mess," he muttered to himself, bringing his limp form over the bed and slowly letting the dark haired man fall down onto the satin sheets. With a scowl on his wrinkled and droopy face, the house elf waddled out of the room, opened a door at the end of the hall and went carefully down the stairs. The basement wasn't much to look at; it resembled a dungeon, cold and damp. The room had cement flooring, with metal beams as support, spider webs galore and barely any lighting. A washer and dryer stood alone in the corner as the only items in the room. Walking past them, the house elf reached a white door that was such a contrast to the room around it, to his eyes it seemed to glow.

"Mildred!" the house elf croaked, banging on the door. "Mildred, open up! I know you're in there!" _Always getting into a mess,_he thought, standing in front of the door waiting.

After barely a moment's pause, the old house elf opened the door and stepped inside. To say walking into Mildred's room is like walking into a different world would be an understatement. The cement flooring turned into light wood, the grey walls into a pale blue, and the lighting was almost blinding in comparison. An unmade bed sat against the wall, covered in blue silk sheet with white mosquito netting around the poles, next to a white dresser with its own vanity mirror.

"Mildred, what are you doing?"

Floating from the high bed, the ghost girl went to the vanity dresser and began to pluck items off of it, putting it into a light pink suitcase.

"I'm leaving!" she choked between sobs.

"You know you can't leave this house, Mildred."

Ignoring his words, she continued to move around the room, collecting items she deemed worthy. Placing the suitcase back on the bed, her back turned to the old house elf, she let out a sob, her body shimmering and shaking before him.

"Millie," the house elf spoke softly, approaching her. "You know as well as I do that you ain't leaving, you are bound to..."

"I am aware of my boundaries, Grimly," she huffed, turning to face the little house elf and sitting on her bed with her head held high. "But it's worth a try, maybe I just need to believe it and it will happen! Like in my stories..." she drifted off, gazing into nothingness, sniffling.

Sighing Grimly waddled over to her side and jumped onto the bed with some difficulty, sitting awkwardly beside her. He had fully intended on giving her a lecture on the rules of the house, which wouldn't be hard as there weren't very many; clean up, don't speak unless spoken to, and don't be seen by anyone but the master and mistress. Looking at over at her, however, he couldn't bring himself to do it.

"What happened, Mildred? What did you do?" he asked, though he hadn't seen anything he heard the shouts of the man named Severus from his room in the attic.

"He saw me, picking up his clothes off the floor. I didn't hear him coming, I swear, and by the time he saw me it was too late to do anything about it," she sighed. "I didn't think he would react like that."

Grimly sighed, which was an odd sound coming from his giant beaked nose. "It's okay, I'll deal with it."

She looked over at the kind house elf, "Are you sure? What if _she_ finds out?"

"She already knows, Millie"

"What? How!"

"I don't know, it seems like she has ear everywhere. I came down to warn you not to come upstairs until she's gone."

"Why do you always insist I stay away from her, Grimly? It's not like she can harm me anymore then she has."

Grimly ignored the question, sliding off the bed with an awkward thump and waddled towards the door, opening it. Just before he closed it, he heard her soft voice behind him. "I'm sorry," she spoke dreamily, with such sorrow in her voice he couldn't bear to turn around and see the look he was sure she had written across her face.

* * *

Grimly swallowed hard, standing in front of the door, his hands clasped before him to stop the shaking, waiting for his mistress to show up. He had received a message through owl of her arrival before he knew of the incident with their house guest, taking it out of his pocket he read it over once more to ensure he had it right.

_House-elf, I will be arriving at the house in one hour. Inform my Severus immediately and have him ready and waiting._

Sweat collected on Grimly's brow as he read it over. He couldn't have Severus ready, the man was knocked out cold and he imagined he would be for quite some time. Luckily he had the house straightened up and the majority of the mess was cleaned. The rest was hidden from sight, set aside for him to repair later. _Like I don't have enough to do already,_he thought.

He always knew that when his mistress arrived, the house itself seemed to shake with fear and the lights seemed to dim in anticipation. Grimly straightened up just as the front door swung open, and she stepped across the rug, closing the door with a slam behind her. The demented smile that she had been sporting quickly melted when she glanced around the room then looked down, noticing the house-elf standing before her.

"Where is he?" she spoke with ice in her voice.

"Th-there was a problem, m-my lady," he said as he bowed deeply to her. "He had a meltdown, I'm afraid he's been alone for too long. He has been lonely, drinking every day, barely eating..."

As he spoke Bellatrix gazed down at him with disgust, but listened. "And what caused this 'meltdown' house-elf?"

"I'm unaware, mistress. I was not there for the beginning; I was staying out of the way. I only came up because I heard the commotion."

Bellatrix smiled down at him, which sent shivers down Grimly's hunched spine. Turning her back to him and staring out the window she asked, "That corpse didn't have anything to do with the incident, did she?"

"Oh, no my lady, she was nowhere near when it happened." Grimly lied, trying not to shift his feet.

Before he could react, Grimly was on the floor, being pinned down by the throat and a wand next to his temple. "You think you can fool _me_house-elf!" she shrieked, laughing in his wrinkled face as he gasped for air. "You think you can _lie_ and get away with it? Like I don't know?" she removed her hand from his throat with a jerk but kept him pinned down as he brought air in and out of his lungs in desperation.

"Severus saw her, didn't he Grimly?" When he didn't answer she pressed her wands harder into his head, "Didn't he?"

"Yes!"

"That's better," she said calmly, moving away from him and allowing him to stand before her once more. "Where is she, and don't lie to me."

"In the basement," he replied sadly.

"Maybe I should summon her, I think it's time we had a little talk, maybe I could tell her some secrets. Wouldn't that be nice, _house-elf_? You have some secrets don't you?" she said, turning to face him with a malicious smile.

Grimly looked at her with horror, "N-no my lady, I mean yes! Yes my lady I do. But... but..."

"If you do not wish for your deceptions to become public, _Grimly,_ I would suggest you listen to me very, _very_ carefully," she leaned toward him. "Keep. Her. In. Check," she said, tapping his nose with her wand at each word.

She smiled. "And I do not want her near Severus, understood?"

"Yes my lady"

"You on the other hand, I request you tend to his every need, and provide him with this _companionship_ he seems to require," she said with a wave of her hand, as if companionship was something frivolous and unnecessary. She turned away from him and walked towards the door.

He bowed low and began to walk out of the room slowly when he noticed she had stopped in front of the door, hand on the handle. "Oh and Grimly?" she said. "Be careful. You wouldn't want Mildred to develop any... _feelings_, now would you?" She opened the door and left, her cruel laughter echoing off of the walls even after she was gone.

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**As always reviews help me write faster because it tells me that the apparently hundreds of people reading this story, actually LIKE it :) Thanks!**


	6. The Companion

**I want to say a huge THANK YOU to toriashley who's review encouraged me to write this chapter faster than intended, I honestly needed the push :)**

**This chapter has been edited by my awesome beta xSeverusxCrookshanksx! THANK YOU!**

**ALSO thanks so much to Padme.G and Saving the world is my weakness for the reviews! You guys are awesome!**

**Leave a review and tell me what you think!**

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"Grimly?" Mildred tentatively floated up behind him. "Are you going in to wake him?"

With a sigh, he turned to face her, looking into her anxious eyes and staring.

"I just mean that, well, maybe that's not the best idea. You hit him pretty hard and I don't think he's going to be happy to see you."

Grimly puffed up his chest. "What's this Millie, you worried about me?" he grinned.

"Not really," she replied. "I'm more worried about him having another episode."

In an instant Grimly deflated, turning back around and walking towards the stairs. "What do you suggest then, huh? You going up there instead? That ain't happening, you ain't supposed to be seen by him, I told you."

"I know, I know. But she doesn't have to know, right? I mean, it's not like anyone would tell," she giggled.

Grimly continued up the stairs, calling down to her, "Stay downstairs Millie; I mean it."

With a "humph", she turned around and quickly drifted into her room, slamming the door. She never got to have any fun. All she had were her books, the old television in the living room, and Grimly. He was always trying to keep her away from the mistress and master, always seeing if she needed or wanted anything. It got to be so annoying sometimes; he kept her from so much excitement. It made her miss her old life and... No, she couldn't think about it. She couldn't think about _him._Floating over to her bed, she lied down and gazed at the ceiling, wondering what was going on upstairs, and in the back of her mind, wondering why Grimly seemed to care so much at times.

Climbing up the stairs, huffing and puffing with the effort, Grimly thought back to his conversation with Mildred. Her concern for their house guest had him, well, concerned. Why did she care so much about a stranger, someone she's only seen twice and barely even spoken to? Was it because he was new, something different in their normal routine, or was it something more? Banishing the thought, unwilling to think about it any longer, he reached the top and walked to the entrance of Severus' room.

Gazing in he saw the man was already awake, rubbing the back of his head while gazing out the window into the night, his bottle of whiskey in hand. Taking a swig, Severus turned around, sensing eyes in the back of his head. When he saw the house elf, he lifted his chin and looked down at him.

"You hit me" he drawled.

"Uh, yes," Grimly replied, waiting for the man to attack him.

"Thank you," was all Severus said, turning back around to face the window.

Shocked, Grimly took a step into the room. "Um, you're welcome?"

"There was a girl," he said, taking another sip from his bottle. "Who was she?"

"Mildred," the house elf replied.

"Is she in trouble?"

"Trouble?"

Severus placed the bottle on the window sill and leaned forward, gazing farther out, and up at the stars. "I heard the conversation between Bellatrix and yourself. Will she be punished?" he asked as if he was inquiring if it would rain or not.

"No, no she will be fine."

"And you—Grimly is it? You are to be my... _companion?_ Is this correct?"

"Only if you wish it," he replied, looking anxious; the disconnected tone the man was using made him uneasy.

"How long have you lived here, _companion_?"

With a slight hesitation, Grimly replied, "I do not recall, to be honest; a while."

"And the girl?"

"A while as well."

Severus turned to face the house elf and the look on the dark haired mans face caused Grimly to flinch. "How many others before me have been here?"

Scratching his arm Grimy sighed, thinking. "I would say three, maybe four. They've never stayed for as long as you have though, I ain't ever seen another long term prisoner besides Mildred and myself."

"Prisoner?" Severus asked, looking at the house elf with amusement on his eyes. "How can you be a prisoner? You're a house elf, this is your duty."

"It wasn't always my _duty,_" Grimly muttered to himself. Unfortunately Severus overheard him.

"What do you mean by that?"

Guarding his face and crossing his arms Grimly took a step back. "Never mind," he muttered, turning to leave the room.

"Wait," Severus called out, stopping the house elf. "I have a question that I need answered."

Still angry at the man behind him for his ignorance, Grimly turned his head slightly to gaze behind him, already knowing the question.

"She's dead," he answered without hesitation, shocked at his own cruelty.

Shock spread across Severus' face, but he spoke calmly. "How long ago?"

"A year."

Confusion replaced the shock, and he took a step towards Grimly. "A year? But I've only been here for a little over a month!"

"I suggest you get some rest, I will explain the rest in the morning." The house elf left the room, walking away towards the living room.

Severus followed close behind and grabbed him by the arm. "You think you can tell me now! So you hint at something and then expect me to just go to sleep? No, I think not! You will tell me what you meant, or I'll –"

"Or you'll what?" Grimly interrupted, looking at the man with fury in his eyes. "Destroy the house? Throw a fit? Hurt me?" He looked into the man's face, searching for any defiance. "You cannot just demand things, you cannot expect things to go your way, and you can't just have and take whatever you want!" he shrieked. "It ain't gonna happen!"

Severus let go of his arm, surprised that the house elf had such courage to face a man more than twice his size. Such an uncharacteristic thing from a house elf, and Severus found a small bit of respect for him.

"I apologize," he said simply. "I should not have grabbed you. For the record, I do not wish to take anything from you." He pointed behind him, "Unless that was your room prior to my arrival, then I apologize again, I wasn't aware."

"No, it wasn't my room and you haven't taken anything from me," he sighed. "Just go to sleep, we will talk in the morning." Turning away from the man, Grimly felt some pity for the both of them. With a wave of his hand, the opening on the ceiling opened up, revealing a set of stairs that dropped down. He climbed up them like a ladder, and flicked his hand again, closing the door.

Turning around, Severus walked back to his room and lay down. So much information to process, he thought sourly. Oh well, I've got time.

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**MUAHAHAHA! I love leaving you guys with so many unanswered questions! Who was Millie talking about? What's with Grimly protecting her? And WHAT IN THE WORLD DOES GRIMLY MEAN BY A YEAR! You'll just have to wait and... read LOL! :D**


	7. The Story

**Alright, so I know this is REALLY late but I do have a reason (excuse). Not only is this the longest chapter I've ever written, not only was it really difficult to write without making it too long, BUT I got into a car accident, three car pile up, and I'm SO sore LOL. Everyone was okay (surprisingly).**

**Random PSA: WEAR YOUR SEATBELTS! lol.**

**This chapter has NOT been edited yet, the grammar will be terrible. Maybe.**

**I do not own Severus or any other HP character, though I do own Grimly and Mildred (that sounds weird)**

**ENJOY! REVIEWS HELP ME WRITE FASTER!**

**I almost forgot thank you to the people who have reviewed my story! Also a random thank you to saramagician, your review is what got this chapter out so fast! And thanks to MizSphinx for your long reviews they are awesome! **

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They sat in the kitchen, staring at each other across the table, neither wanting to be the first to speak. Severus sipped his coffee and glanced at the clock above Grimly's misshapen head. Though they had agreed to meet here in the kitchen to talk, neither of them had spoken for nearly an hour. The little house elf across from him had opened and closed his mouth countless times, looking as if he were going to start, but each time he thought better of it and remained silent. Looking around at the room, Severus realized that though he had been here for so long, he had yet to actually look around the house, wishing instead to stay in his own room alone. He had never noticed how white the kitchen was, the floors and counters gleaming as if they had recently been polished, the sink always empty of dishes and never a crumb to be seen anywhere. Thinking about the rest of the house, Severus suddenly wondered what it looked like. Maybe there was a library with countless books to pass the time with, perhaps even a potions room. As a matter of fact, he had yet to test out the television in the living room. Deciding that this was a waste of time, he push his chair back and stood up, intending to head to the living room when Grimly cleared his throat.

"Sit, please. I ain't so good at storytelling, so this might take a while."

Looking down at the nervous house elf, Severus glided back into his seat and got comfortable. Folding his hands onto his lap, he nodded at his companion to continue.

With a sigh, Grimly had been thinking about what he could share and what he wasn't ready to share for the past hour. He decided would say enough to please the troubled man in front of him but that was all. At least he hoped.

"I didn't always look like I do now."

Smoothing out the ratty cloth he wore as a shirt, he cleared his throat and began.

* * *

_A man and a woman walked arm in arm down a long lane way, stone walls on each side and an abundance of trees on the other. Looming ahead of them was a castle of a house, its tall pointed roofs resembling witch hats in the distance. The brick and structure of the manor resembled that of an old England school, though neither of them would ever say that in front of its owners._

_The man stopped walking, halting the woman with him, and turned to look at her. Her usual brown curly hair was smoothed back and pinned up in an attempt to control the frizz, he had no doubt. One lock fell down her face, curving against her defined cheek bones. Her kind and sweet eyes, so different from her sisters, looked into his, wondering why they had stopped. _

"_Is everything alright?" she asked him._

"_Yes, of course." He replied, "I just wanted to thank you again for the invitation. It was very thoughtful of you."_

_She looked down, slightly embarrassed. "If I'm honest, it wasn't entirely my idea. My sister was quite adamant that you attend, though I don't think she wanted to pursue you herself."_

"_Ah, yes. It was Bellatrix, wannit?" He gave a soft chuckle._

_She giggled with delight, "Well yes, it was. I wish you wouldn't speak like that, it sounds silly." She added, smiling up at him._

_They continued their walk towards the house, beginning to hear the music and the chatter of people nearby. She glanced sideways at him. _

"_I wanted to thank you as well," she said._

"_For?"_

"_For introducing me to Ted."_

_He threw his head back and bellowed. "Ah yes, I thought the two of you would get along." He raised an eyebrow at her, "I'm always right, ain't I?"_

_She blushed in response._

"_It's a shame you couldn't bring him here instead, though I don't reckon he would be welcomed here." He said with distain. _

"_No, I imagine not." She replied with a sigh. He squeezed her arm in reassurance, knowing the tough life she had ahead of her._

_Reaching the doors of Malfoy Manor, he stepped in front of her with his hand on the handle. "Ready Andromeda?" he asked, opening the doors._

* * *

_Though he could appreciate a well decorated house as much as the next wizard, he couldn't help but feel uneasy in the castle. The ball room was well light up, and there were music, people laughing and dancing, but he couldn't help feeling like he was trapped. Excusing himself from his dance partner, he walked over to the bar, ordering a scotch on the rocks. Accepting his drink, free of charge of course, he walked into the hallway, thinking he would give himself room to breathe. _

_As he walked, he thought about all that had happened tonight. When they had walked into the manor, Andromeda had gone her separate way, looking for her sisters. Unfortunately, one of the sisters had found him while he was on his way to the dance floor. Bellatrix had pushed him into the corner gently, spouting nonsense, telling him how handsome he looked, how she knew he felt the same for her. He would have thought her to be drunk if he hadn't known she was as mad as a bat. Though it wasn't that he thought himself unattractive, with his chin length brown hair brushed back, curling just at the neck, his emerald eyes complimenting the tanned colour of his skin. No, it wasn't himself that was the problem, it was _her_. He would never say it out loud to anyone but Andromeda, he did not agree with the views of the majority of his fellow pure-bloods. He could never court someone who thought it disgusting to be born a certain way, he thought of Ted and Andromeda, the way they had looked at one another, how could that be wrong? With a scowl he walked into an office room, a desk with some parchment and a quill sitting there. He walked up to the desk, quietly pulling the chair out and went to sit down, when he felt something in the way._

_Looking underneath the desk, ready to shoo whatever animal had crawled under there, he spotted the hem of a light blue dress, and the sparkling blue set of eyes._

"_What in the name of..."_

"_I'm sorry, sir." The girl said crouched beneath the desk, looking up at him in surprise, "I didn't mean to bother."_

"_Didn't mean to bother? I believe it was me who bothered you, my lady. I didn't see you, er, under the desk. May I ask what exactly you are doing?" he asked with humour in his voice._

"_Oh, I was just cleaning... u-under the desk. You know, dust bunnies and such."_

_Reaching a hand out to her, he chuckled as he lifted her up to her feet taking another look at her. She was a slim girl, maybe in her 20's, the blue dress in question was simple yet exquisite, hugging her tiny curves in the right places. Her blonde hair cascaded down her shoulders, half in her face covering her beautiful blue eyes. Without breaking contact, he brushed the hair from her face, tucking it gently behind her ear. She was staring at him in shock with such a shy smile on her face; he couldn't help but to chuckle again. _

_Breaking out of the moment, the girl stepped back, as if realizing what was happening, banging into the desk and almost flipping over it. Luckily he reached out and grabbed her arm, pulling her close to his chest._

"_You ought to be more careful, my dear. We wouldn't want a lady such as yourself getting hurt, now wuddya?"_

_Noticing the tremble in her arm, he let her go. "Are you alright? Did I scare you?"_

"_No, I-I'm alright, I'm just not supposed to b-be here, that's all."_

_The smile returned to his face and he looked her up and down once more. "I couldn't agree more, a beautiful lady should be out there, dancing!" _

"_I can't." She replied, "If she sees me..."_

"_Who?"_

"_Um, Bellatrix. I'm not supposed to be here, wearing this." She looked down at the dress she was wearing and played with the fabric._

"_Ah, weren't invited, no worries." He smiled offering his arm to her, "We will just have to make sure she doesn't catch you" he said with a wink._

_Hesitantly, she reached over and took his arm. Walking down the hallway, he could feel how tense she was and wondered what Bellatrix had done to her to make her so scared of the witch._

* * *

_They had been dancing for hours, without stop, neither of them showing any signs of slowing down. His arm was wrapped around her waist, his hand in hers, gliding her around the room. He couldn't believe how graceful she was, how her hair moved around her face like a halo with every spin, how those eyes could take his breath away with a single bat. Though he tried to not look at her the entire time, instead scanning the room to make sure Bellatrix was nowhere to be seen, his eyes always came to rest on her face again. He wondered why he had never met her before, though every question he asked her was either met with silence or short answer. He barely knew anything about her, and it fascinated him. He wanted to know more._

_A young looking man with long, blonde white hair took the stage as the band stopped playing. "Alright ladies and gentlemen, the party is over." He waited for the groans of protest to cease with a smile on his face. "I know, I know, but thank you for coming everyone! We hope you had a wonderful time!" He waved his arm in the air, fireworks coming out of his wand and raining down on the guests bellow, who clapped and cheered as they began to separate from their dancing partners and walk towards the exit. _

_He looked down at her, still holding her close to him. "Is it strange that I do not want to let you go?" he asked, looking into those deep blue eyes of hers._

_She blushed in response, shaking her head and looking down. She did not want to let him go either. Smiling at her shyness, he let go of her, but held out his arm once more for her to take and guided her through the crowd towards the main doors and outside. He took her away from the crowd, under a beautiful oak tree._

"_I never got your name" he said, still handing her arm._

"_Mildred." She replied in a whisper. "My name is Mildred."_

"_Millie..." he said, kissing her forehead. "Will I ever see you again?" he asked lifting her chin up and stroking her cheek. _

_Before she could respond, there was a commotion in the crowd behind them. People were shouting in anger as someone shoved their way through the crowd, pushing people aside her wand at the ready pointed at them._

"_Why you little wench!" Bellatrix cried, reaching towards the blonde girl and grabbing her arm, pulling her away from the man._

"_What in Merlin's name do you think you're doing?" he cried, reaching towards the girl to pull her back from the mad woman._

"_What am I doing? Grimly what are _you_ doing with my servant?" _

"_Servant?" he replied, letting go of the girl and looking into the blonde girls eyes, searching them for the truth._

_The young girl looked down, nodding. Tears spilling down her cheeks she looked at him once more, "I'm sorry." She spoke, barely above a whisper._

"_I'm sorry," mocked Bellatrix, grabbing her roughly. "Not as sorry as you will be, you will pay for –" A look of horror crossed her face as she looked down at the girl. "Are you wearing my dress?" She asked calmly._

_The girl didn't answer, looking down at herself ashamed. _

_Bellatrix looked up at Grimly, a sadistic smile on her face. "And what were you doing exactly, hmmm? Having a fun time? Dancing, with a mere slave?" She shoved the girl to the ground." Ha! How foolish you must feel, how pathetic, maybe now you will see. You could have so much better, my love. You and I have the same type of blood, unlike her." She took a couple steps towards him. "We would be perfect together, you must see that."_

_Grimly looked at the girl lying on the ground, her beautiful face hidden by her hair, her body shaking in fear, despite what he knew, despite what he had just been told, he still wanted to hold her. He still wanted to dance with her._

"_No, Bellatrix. She can't help being a slave, you on the other hand," he said with disgust. "You are a vile woman, and I can't bear the thought of courting you, it ain't ever going to happen." He walked up to the girl, helping her up off the pavement. He held her tightly to him, brushing her hair from her face. She looked up at him in shock, unable to understand why he would still want a slave like her. "Will I ever see you again?" he asked once more, a smile on his face._

"_No!" Bellatrix cried, raising her wand. "You will never see her again!" Purple sparks flew from her wand and hit the girl who screamed and held her throat; her eyes wide open in terror. Bellatrix let out a shriek of a laugh, looking at the girl with hate in her eyes. She then shifted to look at Grimly, her wand still attacking the girl in a stream of constant light. "You see, my love? You see how weak she is?"_

_Grimly cried out, anger taking over his smooth features. He ran towards the witch, knocking her down and breaking the spell. Looking over at the blonde girl, lying on the ground, he was shocked at what he saw. _

"_What did you do to her?" He shouted, jumping off of the mad woman._

_Bellatrix pointed her wand at the girl and she vanished. Standing up, she brushed herself off, pushing her hair back from her face. _

"_Nothing compared to what I'm going to do to you." She replied, walking towards him. "You care for servants?" She laughed. "Well then, you can become one!"_

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Severus looked at the man before him, cursed to a life as a house-elf. He shook his head, unable to believe the hate in that witches heart.

"So, you are a house-elf now, for life?" he drawled.

"No, not for life, there is a cure." Replied Grimly, jumping off his chair and walking out of the kitchen.

"So there's hope, then."

Grimly stopped at the door way, looking back at the dark haired wizard, "No, there ain't no hope." He said, and walked out of the room.

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**Sorry to end this at such a sad note! But at least some questions have been answered, what do you guys think the cure is? :)**


	8. The Cure

**Oh. My. Goodness. Is this an update only three days after the last? Why, yes it is faithful reader! I was in a mood to write today, and wrote out this little unexpected chapter. I wasn't thinking of letting the metaphorical cat out of the imaginary bag just yet but, phewy! I did anyway, sort of.**

**This chapter hasn't been beta'd, I'm still waiting for my last chapter to be edited and then this one should be :D So excuse the grammar mistakes and the terrible punctuation. **

**Thanks for the reviews! Keep them coming!**

**Enjoy the ride - Red**

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Mildred sat in front of her vanity table, looking at the pale reflection in the mirror as she brushed her blonde hair. The contrast between the solid brush and her ghostly hand was striking, a constant reminder of what she had become. As she sat there, she thought back to the night she was turned, the night she met her stereotypical tall, dark and handsome man and wondered what had become of him. She knew something had been done to her memory, for though she could remember everything about that night, from beginning to her untimely end, she couldn't remember certain details. Where they had been, what colour his eyes were, what he had been wearing, and most importantly, his name. Setting the brush back down on the table, she stood up and walked to the bookshelf. Oh how she wished she could remember his name, though each time she dreamt it was of him, and she knew she yelled his name, but when she woke the memory was gone, wiped clean from her memory, only a faint impression left behind. Looking through her books, she picks up The Tale of Rapunzel and smoothed her hand over the cover, thinking of the young girl who had been trapped in the tower and then found by her Prince. Fury played across her face as she looked down at hair which would never grow, thinking of the Prince who would never find her. She tossed the book aside and grabbed Sleeping Beauty, opening the book to the picture of the old witch, her mind flashing to Bellatrix. With an eerie scream, she threw it against the wall, turning back to the bookshelf and pulled out each book casting them to the floor. The Frog Prince, Snow White, each curse cured with a kiss, one that she would never receive to lift her own curse. She threw each of her fairy tale stories to the floor in a fit.

_That's all they are,_ she thought to herself, _just silly fairy tales!_

Throwing herself into her bed, her head enveloped in her arms as she wept onto her pillow. Heartbreaking sobs racked her chest as she cried out at the injustice of it all, the pain of love at first sight being ripped from her fingertips by the very woman she was sworn to serve. She cried for herself, she cried for her heart, and she cried for the love of the unnamed man, with the most handsome eyes that she couldn't remember. After what seemed like an eternity, she cried herself dry, shifting to her side, and fell asleep with the hopes of seeing him again in her dreams.

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Leaning against Mildred's door, Grimly buried his face in his hands. Hearing her cry had to be the worst sound he had ever heard, but it was nothing compared to this feeling of helplessness inside him. He wanted to open the door that separated them and hold her close to him, tell her that everything would be alright. But he knew the truth; the door was not the only thing that separated them, it was also their shared curse, with the shared cure. He knew how to break the spell, how to restore her solid form along his own body. It seemed to Grimly, that when it came to Bellatrix, it all revolved around the same thing. The one thing she couldn't have.

Love.

But not even in his wildest dreams could he imagine someone as beautiful as Millie falling for him, looking the way he did. No one could love a house elf but a house elf. He shuddered at the thought of settling down with one, and having little elf babies. As her cries stopped, he lifted his head to rest it against the door and closed his eyes, remembering what the witch had told him after the curse.

_"Look at yourself! You care for her, even though you know she's a slave but do you think she will extend the same affection to you now?"_

Her laughter rang in his ears as he relived the moment, when she withdrew her wand and looked down at his new form, at what she had made him, in disgust. He grimaced as he rubbed his wrinkled and droopy elf face.

"_If she can love you for who you are now, Grimly you poor pathetic traitor, then the spell will be lifted. But just so you know, my dear." She laughed once more, "She won't."_

Grimly knew his fate was sealed, there was no hope for him. But he hoped to find a cure for her, a loop hole perhaps. Maybe if she fell for another, his heart broke at the thought of it. He wished he could tell her everything, but the spell stopped him from speaking of it. How cruel, he though, how unfair! He stood up when he heard her quiet down, knowing that she was asleep behind the door, and walked out of the dark, damp basement with his head down. He had tortured himself enough for one day.

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**You like reading? I do too!**

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**^See what I did there? :D**

**I don't know about you all, but this chapter actually made me sad LOL I have grown quite fond of Grimly, though I like house elf Grimly better then human Grimly... should I be mean and keep him that way? MUAHAH! **

**Thanks for reading!**


	9. The Dreams

**Wow, so many people have added this to their alerts today that I felt like I should do a little side scene. I was going to do something like this anyway, and it just sort of worked out. I literally sat here and wrote this out in one go, and my beta has not looked it over yet (I'm so impatient -.-)**

**Thanks so much for reading! - Red**

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In the dark, warm room she stood over him like a shadow, not making a sound as he slept before her. Looking down at the sleeping man, she bent forward, her black hair brushing against his naked chest causing Severus to shift in his sleep and draw his blankets up to his chin with a murmur. With a wicked smile on her pale face, she drew her wand quietly out of her robes, the soft ruffle of material a faint whisper in the room. Careful not to wake him, she took a small step forward closer to his face, her hair trailing up his torso; she positioned the wand at his temple. Closing her eyes and suppressing a cackle as she drove silently into his mind, into his subconscious and into his dreams.

_Severus ran his fingers through her red hair, looking down at the woman underneath him. Her sparkling green eyes looked deep into his and she giggled as he lowered his lips to meet hers. In a tangle of limps they shifted, he could feel the weight of his love on him, the only thing holding him grounded, saving him from floating away to insanity."I love you, Lily." He murmured in her ear. Grabbing her smooth hair, he pulled gently exposing her neck to him, kissing his way up and down her nape, relishing the tremble he felt through her body. He rested his head in the crook in her shoulder and held her close to him, loving the feeling of her heart against his chest, as if it were his own. He ran his hands up her back feeling a slight shift in her posture. Lifting his head he looked back up into her dark eyes, tangling his hands in her black wavy hair, then drifted them down her body, over her shoulders and chest to her waist where he lifted her up and positioned her over him, as he moaned into her ear "I need you, Bellatrix" – _

Severus shot out of bed, landing in a tangle of blankets on the floor, his sheets clinging to him from sweat, inching backwards and wincing at the pain in his back. Lying there with his body against his dresser he ran a hand down his face, his eyes wide and searching around the room for an intruder that he couldn't find. His heart was beating out of his chest as he untangled himself from his sheets and stood up, letting them fall to the floor. Standing in his briefs, his pale skin glowing in the moonlight, Severus shivered from the cold her could feel inside of him and closed the curtains. He had been dreaming of her, of Lily, even thinking the name brought fresh pain to his chest. He had been holding her, loving her as he should have, finally feeling the warmth of her body and then it had all shifted to cold. Severus took a step towards his bed and sat on it, remembering with a sick feeling in his throat. It was almost as if he could taste her filth on his lips, as if he could feel her hands on his back. With a shudder, he reached over to his bedside table, opening the bottle of scotch Grimly had found for him. He took a couple swigs, feeling the liquid burn a trail down his throat, stopping the vomit that was trying to come up. Bellatrix of all people to replace her in his dreams, he thought to himself with a scoff. The opposites of the two women, like night and day, light and dark, love and hate. Though he was reluctant to admit it, he believed he might be going mad from being locked up in this prison. Some days, he could hardly remember what Lily had looked like, what colour her skin was, what her voice sounded like. Other days that was all he could think about. What he wouldn't give to rid himself of his aching heart, to rip it from his chest and be done with it. Placing the bottle back down, Severus shifted back into bed, pulling the covers on top of him once more and sighed. Thanking the scotch gods up above, he closed his eyes and found sleep come to him eventually, slipping him into a dreamless coma of slumber. If, however, Severus had been more perceptive, as per usual, he would have noticed the faint bite mark on his neck, the smell of her on his skin, and the single hair left behind next to him on the pillow.

Grimly watched from the crack in the cupboard under the counter, as the mistress walked passed into Severus' room, with his hand still over Mildred's mouth. This wasn't the first time she had paid them a visit in the middle of the night, though this time she hadn't informed Grimly of her arrival, as per normal. He didn't want to think about what she was doing to Severus in his room, the thought made him uneasy. When they heard the door close with a faint thud, he let go of her, letting out the breath he had been holding in. Being this close to Mildred was a strange kind of torture, though he relished the faint feeling of her breath against his nape, he wished her could feel her warm solid form against his side, instead of the cold whisper he had helped her become. Regardless, when he felt her shaking beside him he placed his hand atop of hers to comfort her. She looked over at him; her upper body bent forward to fit inside the tight space, and moved her hair to the side to look at him, smiling in thanks. Though she wouldn't admit it to anyone, her mistress terrified her to her ghostly bones.

"Sometimes, Grimly, I wonder what kind of house elf you are." She whispered beside him, "You seem much too bold to be a slave."

Grimly thanked the gods that it was relatively dark in the cupboard, as his cheeks flared red. "You ain't ever met a good house elf then." He said jokingly, trying to ease the fear he read on her face.

"I do believe you might be right, my friend." She said with a yawn.

"If you want, you can sleep for a little. I'll wake you up when she comes out."

With a grateful smile, Mildred stretched her legs as far as they could go to the side, and laid her head on Grimly's lap, closing her eyes.

"Sometimes, Millie, I wonder what kind of slave you are, you seem much too bold." Grimly mimicked her harshly, trying to hide the tremble in his voice. He heard her chime of a giggle as she shifted her head slightly so she was lying on the wooden ground instead of his leg, and it took all the strength he had in his little body to not pull her back to him. With a sigh, Grimly put his head against the back of the cupboard, the crack of light on his face and closed his eyes. It was going to be a long night.

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**That last scene with Grimly and Mildred was similar to a picture in my head, I wish I could draw. When I started with these two characters that was my first thoughts of them though at the time I had originally thought them both to be ghosts (I like Grimly more as a slightly grumpy house elf with terrible grammar) **

**I hope you enjoyed, and to those who favourited/alert-ed, leave me a shout, let me know what you like/don't like :) As I've said before, this is as much your story as it is mine.**


	10. The Emotions

**Wow, Red. This is really late, eh?**

**Yes, yes it is. I've had this chapter written for about a week now, but I just didn't feel right about it. To be honest, I still don't, though not because of the content as much as me just being weird. So I figured, what the hey, I'll post it and see what people think.**

**I don't know if I still have a beta, I think maybe she's on vacation or she just hasn't been on FF lately. Though I don't blame her, I often ditch as well :P (_This means my story has NOT been proofed)_**

**Alright, I'm done blabbing, I hope you like this chapter, if so, tell me! If not, TELL ME! LOL I love reviews!**

**Enjoy - Red**

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Squeezed in between the wall and the washer, Grimly was busy finishing the repairs he was doing on the machine for the fifth time that month. If things continued the way they were this house wouldn't last much longer. If it wasn't the washer that needed fixing it was the fridge, the furnace, the wiring in the basement. Closing the back of the washer, and checking to make sure it was fixed and working, Grimly began to wonder if the television needed fixing again. Pushing his way out of the tiny crack, he climbed out and began to put his over sized tools away, wondering if he could ask mistress for some smaller ones to fit his new tiny hands. Though the thought of asking her for anything, or even speaking to her for that matter, brought shivers down his spine. With a sigh he picked up his tool bag and was heading towards the stairs to see what else needed to be done when Mildred appeared before him. When she materialized from once place to another, it was unlike anything Grimly had ever seen before. His own teleporting, sort of a house elf Apparition, was always greeted with a loud pop, followed by Grimly's sudden appearance. Millie, on the other hand, shimmered into existence, appearing as if she were behind a giant water fall, her form flowing in the air before becoming still once more before him. It was the most beautiful thing Grimly had ever seen, and he was sure she must look as Angel's do.

"H-hey Grimly." Mildred said, looking suddenly uncomfortable, though he was sure she had sought him out. Grimly narrowed his eyes at her, wondering what was making her look so unsure. He mentally shook his head; she had that look that he had seen a thousand times before as a human, that look that screamed out the wearer had nothing good to say. Deciding he didn't want to deal with it, more afraid then annoyed, he grunted in response and started to walk past her, holding his breath as he went. Just as he got to the stairs thinking he was home-free, he heard her clear her throat behind him.

"So, Grimly, you were fixing the washer?" She asked.

With a slump in his shoulders, Grimly turned around his eyes on his feet. "Yes."

"Oh so," She began, drifting closer to him, "is it fixed?"

"Yes." Was all Grimly replied back, wanting her to get to the point. Wondering what was on her mind was slowly killing him, though he didn't let it show. On the outside his face was blank, hiding his true emotions. _Like always,_ he thought bitterly.

"Yeah, that's what Severus said." She added, looking at him intently.

"Did he now? Well it wasn't a secret this time, so I don't mind." He said sarcastically.

"Hmm, well he said some other things too."

Suddenly alert, Grimly looked up at her, searching her hard expression for a sign of what she could be trying to say.

"Grimly, I have personal question to ask you." She drifted closer to him, stopping a foot in front of him.

His heart sped up, excitement playing through his eyes for a second before he pushed it down again, not wanting to scare her off but his freakish appearance when he was happy, his droopy ears perking up, his nostrils flaring. Had she figured it out? Was Severus able to tell her, why hadn't he thought of that himself? He wanted to jump for joy, if she knew she would see, she would understand that we are both victims. And maybe she won't love him right away, but eventually, maybe something could grow. Looking at her now, Grimly couldn't fathom how he was living his life without her in his arms, and that dream, that hope, could be becoming a reality.

"Yes Millie, anything." He answered her, sincerity and hope tinting his voice.

"Do you... um... Do you _like_ me? Like, _like_ me like me?" She asked, her eyes looking bigger than normal.

Grimly's mouth opened a crack, unable to believe where this conversation was going. In all the years they had lived together, they had never discussed anything like love, especially not their feelings for each other. The subject had always been taboo, Grimly was sure it was because she didn't want to relive that night and neither did he.

"Like you? Well, I –"

Before he could continue, she interrupted him, relief playing across her face. "I knew you couldn't like me," she laughed, "I don't know what Severus was going on about, he kept stuttering through something, I was concerned you had developed a little crush on me." She said teasingly.

While she continued on, giggling to herself, Grimly could feel every piece of his heart breaking apart. Though he didn't know the anatomy of a house elf, he was sure he was dying, that his heart was drying up and squeezing together. Maybe he was having a heart attack, he welcomed the thought.

"I mean, how could someone like _you_ be interested in someone like _me_." She laughed again, "It's ridiculous, you're a _house elf _and I'm a human!"

"You're not a human though, are you?" Grimly spat, not thinking. Anger had bubbled up inside of him, bringing tears into his head light like eyes. "You may look human, but you're not Mildred. You're a ghost, an apparition, a being who is here, but isn't." He glared at her, unable to believe this was the girl he loved, not wanting to believe that what she had said were her true feelings. "I'd rather spend the rest of my life as a house elf then a phantom."

Throughout his harsh rant, shock played across Mildred's face, followed by hurt and then anger. Shaking, she pointed a finger at him accusingly. "I can't believe I was ever friends with you, Grimly."

"I can't believe it either!" Grimly shouted at her, throwing his arms in the air. "I mean, after all I'm just a house elf, right?"

With her hands balled into fists, she took one last look at him. "Yeah, that's right, you _are_ just a house elf," she said before she disappeared.

Grimly, stared at the ground where Mildred had been floating not only seconds before, hurt and shock finally coming across his face. Falling to his knees, he wept. He wept for her, for himself, for themselves. He wept for his life, his torture, for all the pain and sadness he had been feeling for so many years. He cried out at the unfairness, of the cruelty of it all, living in the same house as the love of his life and yet being unable to tell her and now this, this was the last straw. He gave up. On love, on life, on happiness. It was as if a piece had just fallen into place with a click, sealing his fate. His mistress had won, he knew that now. Mildred could never love him ever again. He crawled into the corner of the room on his hands and knees unable and unwilling to stand, and curled into a ball, rocking back and forth never wanting to talk to anyone ever again.

Sifting through the closet, Severus moved a pile of boxes onto the ground, sending dust particles in the air. With a twitch of his nose, he thought of his wand still sitting in the living room, probably piling some dust of its own. A simple spell, that's all it would take and this whole room could be cleared of dust in a matter of seconds. Instead, here he stood, Muggle Severus, with a duster in one hand and a cloth in the other. He needed something to do, and although he would have preferred to do something mentally stimulating, there wasn't much in the house that provided such a service. So he decided to clean up the second biggest room on the main floor, dusting it, sweeping it, and looking through it to see what he could find. He needed to occupy his mind, so as not to think of the events that had occurred earlier today. It had been strong magic, he could tell, a curse that could not only silence the one cursed but those around him also? He could feel it still, the familiar touch of Dark Magic that he knew all too well. With a shake of his head he lifted the top box in the pile onto the bed and sat down to look through its contents, hoping to find something to connect him to the magical world he missed so greatly, maybe a clue of how to escape. Every curse has a counter curse; he just had to find his. He had lost track of how long it has been since he was locked away in the house, and often times he wondered if he would ever get out at all. Other times, he felt sure he would, he knew there had to be a solution. The words of his curse ran through his head once more, and he grimaced at the ache it caused in his heart. All these curses, his own, Grimly's, Mildred's, even Lily's. So much destruction, and yet there had to be hope. Right?

Whoever had owned this house had clearly been Muggle, the opened box containing only black and white still pictures of people from long ago. Looking through them, Severus picked one out that caught his eye, plucking it out from the bunch and brushing the dust off of its surface. He took a closer look at the two people in the picture, both leaning on one another under an apple tree, smiling at the unknown person behind the camera. They looked so in love, so happy and alive, and Severus wondered where they were now. Tearing up, he imagined the two in their home together, probably old and grey by now, holding hands while sitting on their front porch in the sun. On the other hand, Severus thought bitterly as the tears dried in his eyes, maybe the man with his long flowing hair had sold his beautiful lover out, and sentenced her to a brutal and merciless death. Maybe he had left her to die because he was weak and unable to help even himself. Rage began to build up in his chest, swelling and expanding to the rest of his body causing him to shake and tremble. Clutching the picture in his hand, he crumpled it up into a ball, crushing the lovers in the palm of his hand. How could this have happened to him, how could he be so useless, so unworthy of life! When did he become this person? With a sudden jolt of hate at the happy couple, and deep down at himself, he threw the picture back into the box of photos and gripped it, tossing it across the room where it landed with a thud. Standing there, shocked at his flash of anger, Severus looked at the spilled pictures before him. All these memories people try to hold onto so dearly, yet in the end where does it leave them? Nowhere, that's where, he thought to himself. Each picture tells a story, capturing the love or happiness of the people in a physical and touchable form. But those shots, like love and happiness, aren't real. Just a moment in time that happened and vanished, one second of time captured for not. Emotions, Severus was beginning to realize, were unproductive, they got in the way and caused strong willed people to become debilitated, powerless.

Fragile.

Well, he refused to be fragile any longer. Turning back to the closet, Severus pulled out long black robes and pulled it over his silk pajamas. He would no longer be weak, he would no longer be manipulated, and he would no longer be held back by his emotions. Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, he pictured a vast ocean in his mind, the water undisturbed and unmoved by anything. He took his emotions, the pain and loneliness, and pushed them down as if to drown them away. When the last of his thoughts were under his figment sea which was turning an eerie black in his mind, he opened his eyes. With a blank face, he straightened his slumped shoulders, shook the hair out of his face and walked out of the room, his cape billowing behind him.

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**Oh Severus and Grimly, you poor unfortunate souls, in pain, in need. REVIEW!**


	11. The Sorrow

**I wasn't going to start this chapter with an AN, but changed my mind.**

**A big thank you to risi for your loyal reviews. It's a little bit discouraging when you see people reading your story but not reviewing it, it makes you wonder if people like it or not. Your review is the reason I am continuing this story, so thank you! I appreciate it.**

**On that note, here is chapter 11. **

***I do not own any of JKR's characters, though Grimly and Mildred are mine. **

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He sat on the floor of the basement, the bottom half of his body numb from the cold cement floor he had been sitting on. As to how long he had been sitting there, Grimly was unsure, though he knew it had been more than a day. Only leaving to Apparate into the washroom, he stayed there in the corner, hidden slightly by the pipes he was tucked behind, his head in his lap. His mind whirled, constantly replaying her words, her laughter at his expense. The pain he felt in his heart was indescribably, and he wanted it to stop. If only he could rip his heart out of his aching chest, to be rid of it. His tear stained face contorted into a twisted grin as he imagined the relief such a thing would cause him, how he would welcome death in a second. From the moment he laid eyes on the fair girl, he knew there was something special about her. He had heard of people before finding their soul mates, their soul bonds, but he had never known how powerful it could be, how it could bring pain and happiness all at once. He had also heard rumours of what happens to people who lose their soul bonds, how they literally die of loneliness, even how some don't wait for their broken hearts to take them instead choosing to end it on their own. The thought played in Grimlys mind, as he looked down at his decrepit hands. He knew now that she would never love him, that she could not love him, and he could not bring himself to face her after all that he had said. The hurt he saw in her eyes when he had told her she was no better than him, the knowledge that he had caused that pain was unbearable. He didn't want to think of it, didn't want to remember it.

He wanted it all to go away.

With that thought in mind, Grimly crawled from his hiding spot and stood up, his destination clear in his mind.

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Severus sat on the oversized armchair in the living room of his prison-house, looking out the window at a world he could not be a part of, brooding though his body was alert, his senses tingling as he continued to gaze at the night sky. Something was happening, something close by though he could not see it nor could he hear it, he could still feel it. Even though he had lost his wand and the powers that had once flowed through his veins he still had some magic left in him. You can take a wizards wand, you can block him from his powers, but you could not strip him of his magic entirely. He had discovered this fact one day in what he now called the Potions Room, where he had been brewing a Sleeping Draught for himself. If you give a muggle a cauldron and all the magical ingredients in the world, what they create will not be a potion, but merely a concoction. Only a true wizard or witch can brew a potion, for it takes a magical being to make magic. The thought brought little comfort to Severus however, though he was somewhat pleased he could still engage one of his favorite pass times. Looking to his wand, still sitting on the mantel, he sucked in a deep breath and imagined the ocean once more in his mind, focusing on the deadness of it, the unforgiving and uncaring waters that were him. And so he sat there, the calm washing over him and completely focused on diminishing his emotions and ignoring his feeling of unease, unaware of the figure looming behind him.

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Mildred opened her eyes and stretched out her long body underneath the covers of her fluffy bed, trying to shake the drowsy feeling that always accompanied her after an unexpected afternoon nap. Lying on her back and gazing up at her dotted ceiling, she attempted to focus on solid thoughts. She did this every day, normally in front of the mirror. There she would sit, staring at her reflection and imagining the body she once had, willing it to life. She believed in the influence of will power, the notion that if you truly believe in something you can make it a reality. However, even when she closed her eyes and tried to think of her goal she couldn't focus on it, her mind was elsewhere. She was unable to imagine herself as a solid being anymore after what Grimly had said to her in his anger. It had ripped through her, leaving a deep wound that she couldn't imagine being healed, her own thoughts when this journey had started, her own doubts and fears being spat back at her by the one person she had been able to call a friend. Sitting up in her bed, she shook her head trying to clear her mind of the events from earlier that day when her eyes caught sight of a white shape on her bed. Tentatively, she reached for it and lifted it towards her recognizing its smooth surface. It looked like a journal, white and hard covered, with an elegant design of swirls engraved in it, ending in the shape of a single rose in the middle. Curious, Midred undid the clasp at the side with a snap and opened it, relishing the familiar cracking sound of a freshly opened book. The pages inside were smooth and blank she realized after a quick scan, flipping through to the last page without seeing a word. However, when she opened the journal back to the first page, there was a note written there which hadn't been there before.

_A gift to you, though a means to no end._

The words caused her to shudder, though whether it was from excitement or fear she was unsure. Just as quickly as it was read, the words slowly faded from the page until it was fresh once more. What did that mean? She wondered absently. Though she wasn't worried about it hurting her, I mean, she was already a ghost. With a frown, she looked around for a quill wondering if the same thing would happen if she wrote on it, when one appeared in between the pages, a beautiful black feather, and such a contrast to the creamy white color of the pages. Shrugging, she picked up the quill, thought for a second, and began to write.

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Slumped against the bathtub, Grimly looked up at the fluorescent lights above the mirror, a bottle of whiskey in one hand. With a drunken smirk, he thought of all the things in this bathroom, those lights were the most beautiful. More beautiful then Mildred, that's for sure, though her beauty left him in awe, these lights left him blinded.

Literally!

Moving his eyes across the room, sunspots in his vision, he looked back down at the rope in his other hand. He couldn't bear to live in a life without her in it. Without the hope of touching those sweet, soft lips with his once more. Putting the bottle down beside him with a loud clank, Grimly twisted and tied up the little rope, holding it before him and looking at his handy work. How ironic, he thought. This rope had he been a full sized human would not have been long enough to carry out the job he required of it. Though if he was his normal height, he wouldn't need it in the first place, he thought to himself chuckling. With as much concentration as he could muster, he levitated the rope into the air, making it tie itself to the curtain rod in the shower. He climbed up onto the sink and brought the other end towards him.

What a swing this will be, he thought.

His life in his hands, Grimly felt a sense of peace sweep over him. Though he was sad to leave Mildred alone, he hoped that maybe with his death her curse could be lifted. Even if that failed, she had Severus now to keep her company. Setting his mind at ease, he pulled the rope over his neck and jumped.

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**Thank you for reading.**

**-Red.**


	12. The Addition

**Thank you to everyone who reviewed last nights chapter, it was very much appreciated and brought warmth to my heart. As payment for your generosity, I thought I would write this up. **

**Enjoy **

**-Red**

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It all happened slowly, what should have been mere seconds felt like minutes as he stepped off the edge. First there was weightlessness, gravity had let him go of his confines only to rip him back again as he swung through the air. With a slight jerk to his neck, Grimly felt the rope tighten for a second before he heard a loud snap.

Falling down, the curtain rod broke in two, falling onto of him as he lied in the tub, the sudden realization that he had failed dawning on him slowly. Sobbing, he laid there, the rope still around his neck as he pulled on it, trying to tighten it enough to suffocate himself. How could this be happening to him, he had nothing to live for, he needed a way out. Sitting up, Grimly reached over the side of the tub and grabbed the bottle of whiskey, lifting it up as if to smash it against the wall when it suddenly vanished from his grasp. Looking up in confusion he spotted a dark figure in the door frame, looking down at him with a mixture of anger and amusement. The figure stepped forward under the fluorescents, and he was able to make out the blurry features of his mistress, though she looked somehow wrong to him. Squinting through his drunken stupor, he tried to pinpoint why. Her hair was a tangled mess on her head and looked as if it had been pulled out in places. Her clothes were slightly tattered, hanging a bit loosely on her smaller frame. In fear, Grimly looked up to her face once more, and noticed the dark shadows under her furious eyes.

"What do you think you're doing, Grimly?" She asked her voice barely above a whisper. She stepped into the room and closed the door behind her.

"Mildred..." He couldn't finish his sentence; he just looked at her, hoping she would be able to understand what he didn't want to say.

"Yes, I know." She replied, almost a little sadly. "Things are happening Grimly, important things. Things that need my attention, you see. I can't be babysitting you anymore." The calmness that painted her voice was alarming and unusual, a chill ran down Grimly's back. He almost wished she would shout at him.

"I'm sorry, Mistress."

"Yes, well." Reaching forward she grabbed his throat, pushing the rope into his neck, "I can't say I blame you. I would want to end it all if I had become a disgusting house elf too." She smiled down at him. "However, the Dark Lord needs me right now, and so I can't be bothered with the likes of you."

She let go of his throat, only to run her hands down the length of the rope still tied to his neck. "I wonder can you burn a spirit? Maybe drown it? Can they feel pain?" She giggled as she pulled the rope a little tighter around his bruised neck. "Attempt this again, Grimly, and we will both find out the answers to these questions. And more."

Panic showed in Grimly's eyes as he processed her words. Defeat playing across his face, he lowered his gaze to the ground. "I promise, Mistress."

"Good," she said, letting go of the rope. A book suddenly appeared in her hand, which she threw at him. "I thought I would make this more interesting for the both of us, I'm starting to get bored with it, aren't you? Now you can write to her through this book, you can tell her anything you want, except what you have become. You can tell her you are her prince charming, the love of her life, but she will never know that it's in fact the house elf living in her attic." She laughed to herself, "It is just so bitter sweet, isn't it?"

Picking up the book, Grimly studied it's black cover, tracing his fingers over the engraved markings, his eyes wide open in shock.

"Now, clean this mess up. I have other things to attend to." She said, leaving Grimly alone knowing that he would not be able to resist opening the book.

Severus was still sitting in the chair, his mind blank of all thoughts and emotions, the black sea in his mind. He ignored everything around him, even when he heard a loud crash in the bathroom, he paid it no mind. He realized he had been holding his breath for quite some time, and so he took a deep breath, in his nose and out his mouth, when he smelt something familiar. Slowly opening his eyes, he could feel a presence behind him, lurking in the shadows. He could hear the erratic breathing, the swish of fabric and the slight thump of high heels against carpet, he instantly knew who it was.

"Hello, Bellatrix."

The walking stopped suddenly, and she let out a slight gasp not expecting him to address her. "Hello Severus," she said coming out from behind him. "You look well."

"I wish I could say the same of you." He said, looking over her figure. She had aged beyond her years, dark circles painted her eyes and hollow cheeks made her look slightly malnourished.

"A couple years in Azkaban will do that to a lady." She purred at him, stepping forward her eyes looking slightly more crazed then the last time he saw her, though her voice and her calm demeanor contradicted it.

"Bellatrix, you stopped being a lady a long time ago." He threw at her, though not with anger. He had no emotion in his voice as he spoke, if anything he sounded bored, making her ears perk and her mind wonder what had happened to him.

"I'm glad you noticed, Severus." She slid herself onto his lap, and laced her fingers around the back of his neck. "Being a lady is so boring, wouldn't you agree?" She asked, trailing one finger down his chest.

He let out a low growl, unable to help his reaction. He had been without a humans touch for too long, he craved it though he tried not to let it show.

She shifted slightly so she was straddling him, one knee on either side of him as she looked into his eyes. "I have missed you, my love." She whispered to him, bringing herself closer to him.

"I am not your love, Bellatrix. I never will be." He said, trying to sound indifferent. The frequent dreams he had been having lately of her played through his mind, breaking through his ocean of thought. He should be repulsed by her presence but he wasn't. In fact, he welcomed it, if not somewhat reluctantly. But he couldn't let her see that.

Brushing her lips against his for a second, she brought her hand to the side of his face, caressing his cheek tenderly. Her eyes looked up at him questioningly, almost as if asking permission. Severus fought a battle with himself, and he knew he was losing it. He was her play toy, and he knew it, she had captured him and she was the only amount of love he would ever receive. The emptiness that engulfed him left him breathless, and he succumbed to his primal needs. Reaching forward he grabbed her hair and brought her closer to him, kissing her lips with such force that for a moment she was caught off guard. He poured all of his hatred and anger into the kiss, forcing her lips apart brutally as he drove his tongue in to assault hers. She groaned in response, wrapping her knees more tightly around his waist bringing her closer to him. As she ran her fingers through his hair, she could feel the influence she was having on him physically, shifting ever so slightly so the fabric of his pants rubbed up against him, making him hiss. He jerk her head back, pulling on her hair as he devoured her neck, making his way down. She let out a slight moan, and closed her eyes.

"Take me, Severus."

Just then, the front door burst open, and a man stood there, his clothes drenched and his breathing heavy, dragging something behind him. Bellatrix stood and turned to the hooded man, anger in her voice. "What are you doing? What is the meaning of this intrusion?" Severus sat there still, unwilling to move though the curiosity itched at him.

"We have captured one of them, the Dark Lord asked me to bring it to you. He thought the filth would fit in with the rest of your," he looked over at Severus, "freaks."

A different kind of pleasure played across her face as she looked at the bundle before her, and with a giggle she opened it pulling a girl forcefully from the bag.

She squealed at the man, "You actually caught one? What of Potter?"

"Him and the blood traitor escaped, though we expect them to return for her soon."

"Very well then, leave her here." She turned to Severus with a pout. "I'm so sorry my love, I must go." She walked up to him and kissed him once more on the lips, "I will return though."

"I will be here." Severus said, not taking his eyes from the girl lying on the floor. He wondered if she was still alive, she wasn't moving and he couldn't tell if she was breathing.

Bellatrix giggled at his comment and walked past the hooded man, whose long blonde hair was starting to peak out from his robes, and out the door. The man looked back at Severus.

"Have fun, she's all yours."

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**_Fanfiction fan: _Neither was I, just kidding. Thank you for the review.  
**

**_risi:_ As always, you have guess correctly, she would never let one of her toys die by any other means then her own. Thank you for your reviews!**

**_wanderinon: _Thank you, I tried to make it as original as I could since I'm always looking to read stories like this on my spare time. Thank you for your review and the compliment :)  
**

**_gemini-rose16: _Well, I wasn't expecting to bring her in so soon, but I decided to cut some things from the story after reading your comment. I hope you guys still like it, sorry for the long wait :P Thank you for your review and the idea to add her sooner :)  
**

**Let me know what you think! Thanks for reading, I accept payment for my writing in the form of reviews :) **


	13. The Darkness

**It has been a while since I last posted, I apologize. I recently got a new job, and am currently house hunting (yay) Thank you for being so patient, and I hope I haven't lost too many readers.**

**The next chapter will be up soon, this one is a little short but I wanted to end it there before continuing to the next.**

**Enjoy - Red**

* * *

Darkness had never seemed so comforting before, as she lied there in a blanket of black unable to see or feel much of anything. She could hear voices above and around her, the smooth voice of Lucius Malfoy, the deranged voice of that mad woman, Bellatrix and another voice, unfamiliar to her ears. She knew she should be trying to move, to escape the prison Malfoy senior had promised her but she couldn't bring herself to leave the comfort of the darkness. Not wanting to think about the previous night, the battle, the orbs, watching him die and the _look_ on Harry's face. Sorrow began to etch its way into Hermione's heart, and she didn't think the blackness could keep it away much longer. Hearing a door close, she listened to the sound of footsteps approaching her and struggled to open her eyes. She lifted her head slightly, fighting through her blurry vision and squinted at the dark figure that knelt before her. The more she focused, the more she could make out certain features; medium length dark hair, pale skin and black flowing robes. Her mind slowly registered the word "Bat" as she giggled to herself darkly, remembering a certain muggle caped crusader. Closing her eyes, she felt herself being lifted off the ground and pulled into the comforting arms of the dark stranger. She rested her head on its chest, not caring if they were friend of foe, as she drifted back into the dark.

* * *

Severus looked down at the girl lying before him, her clothes torn and burnt in places, wondering what she had gone through before her arrival. As he studied her bloodied face he saw her try to lift her head and open her golden brown eyes, looking up at him with a mixture of awe, fear and uncertainty. He leaned in closer to her, catching the word "bat" as he scooped her off the floor and walked her down the hallway to his room. Laying her down on his bed, he debated whether he should get her out of her filthy clothes or not, when he got an idea.

"Grimly" he muttered to the air.

A sputtered pop came from beside him as Grimly appeared, stumbling slightly as he grasp the bed to steady himself. Severus lifted an eyebrow at him, but said nothing of his companion's state, merely nodding towards the girl in front of them. Grimly looked up confused as his brain tried to register what was in front of him.

"Can you take care of her?"

Grimly's eyes widened as his gaze took in the state of the poor girl in front of him. "O' course I can," he mumbled in his altered state. "Wha' exactly –"

"Get her changed and clean her up, magically. I can't do it myself, and I don't want her disturbed. She may wear my clothes if needed." Severus turned away from the intriguing girl and walked out of the room without a backwards glance.

"Uh, sure." Grimly said to Severus' back, his gaze shifting to the unconscious lady in front of him, wondering what she was doing here and how long she would be staying.

* * *

Mildred sat up on her bed, the sheets collected around her legs, entangled in them as she stared down at the words she had written in the beautiful white book.

_I've never been one for writing in journals; my mistress had strictly forbidden any form of education among her servants, though of course she couldn't control what we already knew before she purchased us. _

She read it over again, frowning at herself. What do you even write in a journal? Shaking her head she scratched it out and started over.

_I don't even know where to begin, see I've been trapped in this house for many, many years. How long is a mystery even to me, as time has no meaning in the confines of this place, this hell. My name is Mildred, no last name, I was young when I was taken to this house, maybe 20, maybe older, we don't know our ages when were bought and we never celebrated birthdays. I was separated from a man I met, it's crazy but I believe he was my soul mate, I felt a bond being formed the moment he touched me. It was the deepest magic I had ever felt, like our souls were merged. I would do anything to return to him, I miss him so dearly._

Tears started to well up in her eyes as she wrote, she wiped her face so as not to stain the pages of the book.

_Often times, I wonder if anyone still thinks of me out there. I am nothing now, no more than a ghost of who I once was. Even those who live here, in this prison with me, don't understand me or what I feel. It is almost as if I am fading, becoming invisible to all. _

_Does anyone see me?_

* * *

Severus shifted on the floral couch, tucking his robes under his head and staring up at the ceiling as his mind began to replay everything that had happened in this room. Bellatrix had been locked away, how did she get out? He had never heard of anyone escaping from Azkaban before, she must of had help, but from who? The Dark Lord perhaps, though how he let his favorite Death Eater be taken in the first place was beyond him, and quite frankly he didn't care.

_If you don't care, then why did you kiss her?_

Why indeed. When she had touched his chest, ran her fingers through his hair, the impulse to return the gesture was undeniable. In that moment he had lost himself, _his mind_, as he kissed her with hate instead of passion. He had never experienced so much distaste for someone before in his life, and yet he had almost...

He couldn't bear to think about it. He looked over at the floor where the mysterious girl had been, a small puddle of blood staining the carpet. Who was she? And what did she have to do with a Potter? Was it James or their child? _Her _child. His heart clenched in his chest before he banished her back to the depths once more. He sighed as sleep began to cloud his sight, rolling over as best he could. Whoever that girl was, perhaps she would have answers for him, perhaps she would know what to do to help them all escape, he thought before he drifted off to sleep.

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**I don't know if you have noticed, but I don't like to rush stories. I enjoy taking my time, and this will be a long one. Maybe not 50 chapters, but no less then 30 I imagine. If this is too slow for you, I apologize, let me know.**

**Please review, it helps a lot! And thank you for reading!**


	14. The Wakening

**I know. I know, I know, I know. And I am sorry. I haven't been updating this story, and I'd love to list a number of reasons but it would sound like excuses so I wont even bother. I have not abandoned this story, I merely disappeared for a while. I'm back now. And again I apologize. **

**Feel free to review, though it is not mandatory after my little hiatus. Thank you again for your time, and thanks to all who still want to read this. **

* * *

Voices invaded her ears, images clouded her vision.

Darkness, that seems to be all she can remember. How did she get here? Who had captured her? She remembered the battle, Harry picking up the orb that bore his name, the ambush that was waiting for them. She had watched as Sirius Black was killed, momentarily distracted by the flash of green that pierced his soul and left him lifeless. Just distracted enough, overcome with grief, when they... they...

Everything was black. She wanted the light back, but she couldn't bring herself to turn it on.

* * *

Grimly stretched his short legs out in front of him on his make-shift bed; a thin grey sleeping bag resting atop a bright yellow foam mattress. The bed suited him, low enough that he didn't have to jump to get in it and small enough that it fit in the dimly lit attic. The room was too low for anyone else, but it fit Grimly's needs perfectly, ensuring that he wouldn't receive any unexpected visitors, one positive attribute to being a house-elf, he thought bitterly as he lifted the black book from under his pillow, pulling out the beautiful white quill from its spine. With a crack, he opened it and reread the words written on its pages, squinting through the fog in his mind.

I will never drink again, he thought. Ever.

He scratched his chin as he looked over the script, quill in hand and ready, contemplating what he should write.

_Does anyone see me?_

Of course I see you, insufferable girl, he wondered at her blindness. Setting his frustration aside, he chose a more delicate approach to his response.

_I do._

* * *

Severus sat in a chair with his arms crossed, looking at the semi-conscious girl in his bed. His presence might appear to anyone looking in like he was concerned for the well-being of the auburn haired creature before him but this was not the case. No, he was here for answers. So he had waited for her to wake, and as morning turned to afternoon, she finally began to stir.

"I want... light. Turn... it on."

Severus rolled his eyes, the light is on you stupid girl, if you'd only open your eyes.

As if she could hear his thoughts, she obeyed, waking and sitting up as if shocked, the thick blanket slipping down to her waist, revealing a white undershirt. She looked around the room she was in, dazed and slightly confused, before her eyes settled on Severus.

"Who are you and where am I?" She demanded, glaring daggers at him.

With the raise of a brow, Severus unfolded his arms. "My name is Severus Snape." He replied in a bored tone, "You are in a muggle house which will serve as your prison for an unknown amount of time, though time is irrelevant here. And since you will be staying here, I suggest you learn your manners." He smirked at her, enjoying the look of shock on her face as she took in his words.

The girl pushed the covers off of herself and jumped out of bed, heading towards the door before she realized she wasn't wearing her robes. She spun on the spot and glared at the dark haired man. "Where are my things? My robes and my wand!" she demanded.

He looked at her up and down, taking in the cuts and the bruises which could be seen on her bare legs, the shorts she had been changed into not hiding much to the imagination. "I have neither," Severus drawled with indifference, meeting her gaze. "Though I'm sure Lucius must have taken your wand."

He watched as her eyes grew, an accusing look thrown his way. "How do you know his name?" She asked suspiciously, taking a step back from the man.

Realizing his mistake too quickly, Severus folded his arms once more and glared at the girl. She wasn't going to make this easy for him as it was, he couldn't just tell her that he is, no that he _was_, a Death Eater. Instead he asked one of his own. "How did you come to be here, at this house? And what do you know of the Potter's?" He tried to look casual, as though the answer to those questions weren't important to him. His face portrayed no emotions, but his heart ached a dull twist of pain at the answers she could hold.

"I won't tell you, or Voldemort a thing!" she cried with her head held high as she turned and stomped from the room and out of his sight. He was amazed by her gall, and foolish bravery. He sighed to himself, this was going to be harder then he thought.

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**Let me know if the page breaks I put in aren't working, in some of my other chapters they don't seem to be there. **


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